Latest news with #HughMiller
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
These are our favourite eight Scottish gems of museums
Church Street, Cromarty, 11am-4pm In the town of Cromarty, on the Black Isle, history runs deep, in Hugh Miller's birthplace cottage the low roof and creaking floorboards create a sense of the weight of centuries passed. Tickets range from just £1 to £16 and provide access to both the Museum and the small, thatched cottage where Miller was born. Explore the interesting life of Hugh Miller and his varied career paths from folklorists to geologist while seeing fossils local to the north of Scotland and find out the story of mysterious ring See more at: The Scottish Witch Trial Museum, Leven Mitchell Street, across from The Caledonian Hotel. Open Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10am–4pm and weekends from 10:30am-4pm. Britain's first museum to focus on the dark past of the Scottish witch trials has 17th and 18th century items, manuscripts and torture devices from the witch hunts. The museum focuses on 175 years of witch hunting with exhibits on Pittenweem, St Monans, Largo, North Berwick and Paisley. See The Leighton Library claims to be Scotland's first purpose-built private library (Image: free) The Leighton Library, Dunblane The library stands at the cross, opposite the Dean's House and near Dunblane Cathedral. Open from the start of April to the start of October, from Monday to Saturday 11am-4pm The creaking floorboards and impressive collection of original books lining the walls of the library make it feel as though, for a moment, you have stepped back in time. It has a small but impressive collection, with Captain Cook books and a first edition copy of Sir Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake. The helpful volunteers are happy to share their knowledge. Scotland's first purpose built private library was founded to hold the collection of Minister Robert Leighton and provides a valuable insight into the tumultuous history of Scotland at the time of King Charles II. See more at: St Fillan's Cave, Pittenweem Cove Wynd, 10am-5pm everyday Pittenweem embodies the cute coastal town vibe of the East Neuk of Fife and is home to the 1000-year-old St Fillian's Cave, getting its name from the 7th century Irish missionary St Fillian. To access the cave you can get the key from The Cocoa Tree Shop at £1 per person (plus a £10 deposit) which includes a descriptive leaflet. Once through the unassuming gate the cave stretches far back and has a stone altar, with modern day offerings from pennies to shortbread. In the still and peaceful atmosphere you can almost hear the lost prayers and murmurs of the past. The police museum tells the dramatic story of the return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland (Image: Isobel Scott) Glasgow Police Museum First floor, 30 Bell Street, Glasgow. Monday-Saturday 10am-4.30pm and Sunday 12-4.30pm Climb a flight of stairs and you will find the Glasgow police museum, small but packed full of history, with friendly staff. The independent museum provides a detailed history of Britain's first police force from 1779 to 1975. The museum displays this interesting history through artifacts, pictures, stories and cases with old uniforms, medals and weapons. It also has an impressive international room where it has uniforms and insignia from every police force in the world. See more at: Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore Aultlarie Croft, Kingussie Rd, Newtonmore, 10am-5pm Just off the A9 you can step back in time to a Highland community through the ages and experience the lives of people through recreations of a school, homes, shops and more. Visitors are immersed in history from the smell of peat in the township cottages to dressed up actors. Unlike the others on our list, this is a huge 80-acre site and its beautiful setting allows for a walk through the pine forest to a highland township making it a great day out from history to nature. See Abertaff is the oldest house in Inverness (Image: Isobel Scott) Abertaff house, Inverness 71 Church Street, Inverness, Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm The oldest house in Inverness gives a quick insight into the city in the 17th century. While much of the house is inaccessible, with two downstairs rooms open it is worth a visit if you are in the area, especially since admission is free. See Camera Obscura in Dumfries Museum, Dumfries Rotchell Road, Dumfries, Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 2pm-5pm The world's first camera obscura at the top of Dumfries museum's windmill tower was installed in 1836 and provides great views over Dumfries and surrounding countryside. One of Scotland's oldest museums it has a varied collection focusing on the land and people of the region, with artifacts dating back to pre-historic times. See more at:
BBC News
17-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Mystery of Victorian geologist's ring found on African beach
A long lost gold ring commemorating a Scottish geologist and writer has been returned to Scotland after being found on a South African beach.A metal detectorist uncovered the mourning ring inscribed with the name of Hugh Miller - a Highland stonemason who went on to be regarded as one of Victorian Britain's greatest ring is believed to have belonged to his daughter Harriet, who travelled to Australia after Miller's death in has been donated to Hugh Miller's Birthplace Cottage & Museum in Cromarty, but it remains a mystery how the ring reached Gordon's Bay in Cape Town. Mourning jewellery was common in Miller's time, and this 18-carat gold ring was engraved with: "Hugh Miller, Born Oct 10th 1802, Died Dec 24th 1856".It was discovered by South African metal detectorist Cornell Swart in June told the Friends of Hugh Miller Group she kept searching after finding "some old pennies and buttons"."I got a very faint, deep signal and I dug down in between rocks and pebbles"From the first moment I saw it I knew it was special - when I realised it had historical significance I was over the moon." For a man who painstakingly gathered and reconstructed fossilized sea creatures to uncover their secrets, it is perhaps fitting that his mourning ring was found buried among the rocks on a beach. From humble beginnings in a thatched cottage in the early 19th Century, Miller went on to become a social justice campaigner and leading voice of the Scottish trust staff at the Hugh Miller museum hope the story of the ring's discovery will attract many visitors to the site to learn about his legacy. Photographs of Miller's children show his daughter, Harriet, wearing a ring very similar to the one found on the beach. Although know one knows how it ended up buried in the sand, there is speculation it could have been sold, stolen or lost overboard from a ship bound for Australia. Debbie Reid, visitor services manager at the museum, said: "We know from old records that Harriet travelled to Australia in 1870, and her children returned to the UK in 1884."Many routes to Australia would have stopped in Southern Africa during this time, so it is possible the ring was lost on one of these journeys, but we will never know for certain."Ms Reid said they were "thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase the ring"."It has an incredible story behind it which deserves to be shared and the fact that it has remained hidden all this time is remarkable," she said. The ring will be put on display at the National Trust for Scotland museum next to a mourning brooch purchased in Australia in 2007.
The Independent
17-03-2025
- General
- The Independent
19th century ring linked to Scottish geologist found on South African beach
A ring linked to a 19th century Scottish geologist which was found on a South African beach has gone on display for the first time. A metal detectorist found the mourning ring, engraved with Hugh Miller's name and the date of his birth and death, in the sand at Gordon's Bay, near Cape Town, in 2022. It has now gone on display at Hugh Miller's Birthplace Cottage & Museum in Cromarty on the Black Isle for the first time. Mourning jewellery was common at the time of Miller who, as well as being a geologist, was a writer and social justice campaigner. It is not known how the ring ended up in South Africa but it is thought that it may have belonged to Miller's daughter and was lost while she, or her children, were travelling between the UK and Australia, as many ships would have stopped there on the way. Debbie Reid, visitor services manager at the museum, which is cared for by National Trust for Scotland, said: 'We are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase the ring to the public. 'It has an incredible story behind it which deserves to be shared and the fact that it has remained hidden all this time is remarkable. 'There is some mystery as to how the ring ended up in South Africa. Photographs of Hugh Miller's children show his daughter, Harriet, wearing a ring which is very similar to the one found. 'We know from old records that Harriet travelled to Australia in 1870, and her children returned to the UK in 1884. 'Many routes to Australia would have stopped in southern Africa during this time, so it is possible the ring was lost on one of these journeys, but we will never know for certain.' The ring, made of 18 carat gold, features the inscription 'In Memory Of', which would likely have been filled with black niello, a metallic alloy. The inside of the ring is delicately engraved: 'Hugh Miller Born Octr 10th 1802, Died Decr 24th 1856'. After the piece of jewellery was found by local metal detectorist Cornell Swart, it was donated through the Friends of Hugh Miller Group to Hugh Miller's Birthplace Cottage & Museum where it is being displayed beside a mourning brooch already in the collection. Miller was born in a thatched cottage in Cromarty but, from humble beginnings, he went on to become a renowned Victorian intellectual who was remembered as the 'supreme poet of geology' in 2002 at the bicentennial celebrations of his birth. The museum is also hosting a pop-up exhibition in collaboration with the Carrick Artists Collective from March 21 to May 4. Miller explored Carrick in South Ayrshire, and the exhibition aims to highlight the link between these two places.
